How signing number 6 could take Alexis Mac Allister to greater heights at Liverpool – Liverpool FC

This was a debut season for Alexis Mac Allister, who may be Liverpool’s player of the year despite moving to midfield.

The Argentine arrived at Anfield in June as a key cog in Brighton’s side, which has once again exceeded expectations as they enter 2022/23 just five points behind Liverpool.

Dominik Szoboszlai grabbed the headlines early in the season, but it was Mac Allister who ended his first year on Merseyside with the most fanfare.

He did so despite having to cover the base of United’s midfield for much of the campaign, and his importance to the team moving forward is now beyond doubt.

Early appearance

Mac Allister signed at the start of the summer and little was known about the club’s respect for him until he was revealed.

I remember one of the key lessons I took away from Stamford Bridge on the opening day was that we had a player on our hands even though his role in the team was not yet fully determined.

The World Cup winner’s first appearance in eye-catching red led to the first of many puzzling refereeing decisions in 2023/24. His afternoon was cut short by an hour by Thomas Bramall in his first Anfield outing.

That red card was later overturned, allowing him to pick up where he left off, with a series of promising performances throughout August and September.

Wataru Endo took some time to adapt to life in England, with Jurgen Klopp calling on Mac Allister to anchor his midfield three at the start of the season.

As the Japan captain began to come to terms with the rigors of the Premier League, Mac Allister was shown more ability on the pitch as a full-fledged midfielder, where we got a real glimpse of what he can do.

Limited by circumstances

When Endo departed for the Asia Cup in January, the 25-year-old had established himself as a regular in the squad, but his absence has left Liverpool’s number 10 as the first-team squad’s only capable defensive midfielder. . Available.

Japan’s early elimination was good news for the Reds. Endo returned to score in the 3-1 home win over Burnley in February and has since made eight league starts in the next 10 games.

It’s no coincidence, then, that February was also the time when Mac Allister came into his own and raced to the top of the race to be recognized as Liverpool’s best player of the season.

The World Cup winner was imposing from that point on, becoming one of the few players to see the Reds collapse on three fronts with full credit left in the bank.

What we saw from him when he was released from the number 8 position has undoubtedly whetted our appetite for what we can expect if Liverpool are in the market for a new number 6 this summer.

Mac Allister scored four goals and provided five assists with Endo back in the side.

Endo has responded admirably to the task entrusted to him throughout 2023/24 and is almost certain to continue in his role as Arne Slot looks to fulfill his ambitions in this team.

However, it is difficult to argue that Mac Allister’s game intelligence and technical ability will not be best utilized as a complete midfielder in the football club’s next era.

What’s next under Slots?

The rare moments he was exposed occurred almost exclusively when protecting the back four.

He was in possession twice at Villa Park during the final away trip of the campaign, leading to goals for the hosts on both occasions.

The 25-year-old had sporadic difficulties while looking at his own goal from the edge of the box, but some argue Alisson did him no favors when it came to delivering into tight spaces at times.

There is little disagreement that he is more than capable in the No. 6 position, but one of Slot’s first priorities could be finding a specialist to help the Argentine really tap into his seemingly limitless potential.

We could see Mac Allister operating a two-a-side as part of the 4-2-3-1 he is known to deploy at Feyenoord, and lining up alongside a more defensive-minded team-mate would be the best of both worlds for him. best.

Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, two game-changers from the Klopp era, have stood up once again and been included as the manager bids farewell to his circus around the sun, providing ample competition for the title of the Reds’ marquee player for 2023/24.

I give it to Mac Allister because, with or without positional relief, he personifies consistency when many others have experienced all kinds of ups and downs with their form.

The possibilities are endless for this man who already has one of football’s biggest awards on his mantlepiece. Let’s take a look at what he and Arne have in store for each other.

Best moment: Scored Liverpool’s goal of the season at home against Fulham.

Worst moment: He received an incorrect red card on his Anfield debut against Bournemouth.

role next season This is the first midfielder’s name on the team sheet.